Brazil legend Pele has died aged 82 after suffering from colon cancer.
The former Santos striker began end of life care in his homeland after he didn't respond to chemotherapy. However, he released a statement early last month saying he was remaining strong and still had hope. It read: "My friends, I want to keep everyone calm and positive. I'm strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual. I want to thank the entire medical and nursing team for all the care I have received. I have a lot of faith in God and every message of love I receive from you all over the world keeps me full of energy. And watching Brazil in the World Cup too! Thank you so much for everything."
But Pele, full name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away earlier today, his agent confirmed. He was admitted to the Albert Einstein Jewish hospital after contracting a respiratory infection. Despite early improvements, Pele's condition worsened over the last few weeks and his daughter shared an emotional social media post last Friday. Captioned: "“We continue to be here, in fight and in faith. One more night together,” Kelly Nascimento shared a photo of her hugging her father as he lay in his hospital bed.
